Bonds of Family
by Eye Greater Than Three
Summary: It didn't matter to Harmony what people said. Vernon and Petunia were her parents, and she was a Dursley. female!Harry. Part of The Halloween Collection.
1. First Year

**Fandom:** Harry Potter  
 **Pairings:** Vernon Dursley/Petunia Evans Dursley, and mentions of James Potter/Lily Evans Potter  
 **Warnings:** alternate universe; female!Harry (Harmony); het; nice and loving!Vernon and Petunia Dursley; mentions of depression, suicidal thoughts, death, and murder; mentions of off-screen character death; death of a child due to SIDS; mentions of child abuse; mentions of bullying; and Sorted into a Different House  
 **Prompt:** (Word) Blood

 **Summary:** To Harmony, it didn't matter what people said. Vernon and Petunia were her parents, Lilith was her sister, and she was a Dursley.

* * *

Having someone to love is family. Having somewhere to go is home. Having both is a blessing.  
–Anonymous

* * *

 **Bonds of Family**

 _First Year_

When she first learned about the Magical World – because, for the record, Wizarding World sounded _absolute_ stupid and sexist by ignoring witches – she was excited. It was _the_ best news ever. Harmony Dursley couldn't believe it. It was like _all_ of her dreams were coming true.

Finding out magic existed explained somethings about her parents. Vernon and Petunia never _told_ her that magic was real, they only told her that she was special. They let her read as many fantasy books as she wanted – as long as they were age appropriate – _and_ they let her watch a fair amount fantasy movies and television shows. Her parents tried to monitor the amount of she watched television or played video games. They wanted her active and outside instead of inside and passive, watching the screen.

Harmony knew her parents weren't her biological parents. They adopted her when she young, like two years old or something. Vernon and Petunia told her the truth when she was in first grade. Her other parents were James and Lily Potter, and Lily was Petunia's younger sister. James and Lily were killed when Harmony was fifteen months old, and she was placed in the care of her only remaining relatives.

Petunia and Vernon saw Harmony as a second chance for a family. Their own son, Dudley, died at the age of three months of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), and they were unable to conceive another child. They were on the verge of divorce when Harmony entered their lives. She was young girl without parents, and they were parents without a child to love. Together, the three were a perfect fit. Harmony saved their family, their marriage, and Petunia's life while Vernon and Petunia found a darling little girl that fit into their lives and their family.

Petunia's greatest dream in life was to be a mother. As a young mother, she lost her son. One second he was asleep and breathing, and the next second he stopped breathing. According to their old doctor, _if_ Petunia had entered the room and moved Dudley then he never would have died. The news broke something in Petunia, causing her to blame herself while Vernon fired the doctor and threatened the sue.

In the months following Dudley's death, Petunia went to numerous doctors and specialists, interesting in having another child – even though she continued to struggle with Dudley's death. Every doctor came to the same conclusion. She would have difficulty conceiving another child, and it wasn't likely to happen. The further broke Petunia.

What was she supposed to do?

 _All_ she had ever wanted in life was a family of her own with a loving husband and children – between two and four children. Petunia had picked names out when she was in university, studying for her language degree.

The loss of Dudley strained the relationship between Vernon and Petunia. They could go days without speaking to another. One day, Vernon woke up and he _noticed_ his wife. She had dark circles and she was going through the motions of life. He watched her for two days, growing more and more concerned. After the second day, Vernon took a leave from work and he took his wife to the best therapist in London. It took a few months and three appointments a week, but Petunia slowly began to heal. She wasn't better, but she knew she couldn't stop living. Her life was worth _a lot_. She owed Vernon that much – and she owed herself even more.

A month later, Harmony entered their lives with the news that James and Lily died. Upon her arrival, Petunia vowed to love Lily's daughter. Despite the distance and the tension between them, they were sisters and Petunia loved her little sister. She would miss Lily, but she would take care of Harmony like she was her own. On Harmony's second birthday, she began a Dursley – making her Petunia and Vernon's daughter.

When Harmony learned about Lily and James, her parents refused to tell her how they died, claiming she was too young. At the age of ten, Vernon took her out of school for the day for a special trip to London. Over lunch, he told her that James and Lily were murdered and they died protecting her. It devastating for Harmony to learn, but she knew that she had two sets of parents that loved her.

On the morning her Hogwarts letter arrived, Petunia prepared a special breakfast of waffles and fresh strawberries and Vernon took the day off of work. While Vernon and Petunia were muggles, they understood the importance of Harmony receiving her letter – but Harmony didn't know the reason until later. They were seated at the table when Harmony entered the kitchen. The atmosphere was tense, making breakfast a little awkward. At the end of the meal, Vernon presented her with a letter. It was addressed to _Ms. H. Potter_.

Harmony scowled at the sight of her birth name. "Doesn't this _Hogwarts_ know my name?" she demanded. "And they address this letters _a little too personally_?"

The letter wad addressed to _Ms. H. Potter of the Second Largest Bedroom of Number Four Privet Drive_.

"Read the letter, sweetie," Petunia urged, amused by her daughter's words.

With a sigh, Harmony opened the parchment.

After reading the letter, Harmony glared at it. Just because was real and she was a witch didn't mean this school was allowed to get her name wrong. She was Harmony _Dursley_ , not Harmony Potter. She would need to correct that error by sending the school an owl.

Where could she find an owl?

 **...**

Later that every morning, Vernon and Petunia took Harmony to Diagon Alley. Petunia remembered the location, despite years passing after her last visit. It took half an hour to get to Gringotts, the _magical_ bank, because Harmony was more interested in looking at the sights around her. Instead of trying to convert money, Vernon and Petunia took Harmony to a teller and asked about the Potter Vaults.

"Does Miss Potter have her key?" the goblin asked with a sneer.

Harmony glared. "No, I don't," she answered, "and prefer being called Miss Dursley."

"Then _Miss Dursley_ will need to provide a blood sample to prove she is whole she claims to be," the goblin said.

Harmony and her parents were taken back to see the manager of the Potter accounts. A few drops of blood confirmed her identity. Due to her age, Harmony could only access her Trust Vault for money and she could take books and heirlooms from the other vaults. For the time being, Harmony had two sets of keys issued – one set for herself and one for her parents.

Before leaving the manager's office, Vernon wanted to look over the statements. Apparently, the money intended to provide for her care and wellbeing was being pocketed by someone else. Vernon and Petunia never saw a cent of it. The transactions were halted. While the money couldn't be recovered, the issue would be investigated. From now on, the money would be going to Harmony's parents.

Vernon and Petunia had mixed feelings about accepting the money. They didn't need the money, but the money could offer luxuries they didn't have and couldn't afford, like a family vacation or adoption. For the time being, they would set the money aside and save it.

 **...**

After the roller coaster ride that led to Harmony's Trust Vault and back, Vernon and Petunia needed a hour and something to eat in order to settle their stomach. Outside of Gringotts, they headed to Rosa Lee Teabag. It was a lovely space similar with to a cafe. The ride to and from the vault was a wild ride that Vernon and Petunia _never_ wanted to repeat while their daughter was eager for another run.

An hour was spent at Rosa Lee Teabag, enjoying a pot of tea and some pastries, before Vernon and Petunia were ready to start shopping. The first place they headed was Madam Malkin's for Harmony's school robes. Harmony was quickly fitted and she left with five sets of school robes and three sets of causal robes.

Petunia led her husband and their daughter around the alley. She remembered a lot of the places from her visit with Lily over twenty years ago. It was amazing to see how little had changed in that time. There were two or three new shops, otherwise everything else, down to the people, seemed to be the same.

After collecting most of her school things, Petunia took Harmony to the bookstore. She knew her daughter would take awhile. With Harmony distracted, it would give Petunia and Vernon a chance to pick out an owl for their daughter.

The couple chose a beautiful snowy white owl for their daughter. Upon their return to Flourish and Blotts, they discovered Harmony was still picking out books. She had filled up one basket, working on her second. While their daughter continued to browse, Vernon and Petunia decided to look around. There was a lot they needed to learn. Petunia picked up a few books on wizarding etiquette, wizarding society, and introductory guides to the wizarding world. Vernon was interested in finances, laws, and Harmony's birth family, the Potters.

An hour later, Petunia and Vernon were removing their daughter from the bookstore. Harmony was only willing to leave when her parents showed her the catalogues she could use to order books out of. After picking up several catalogues, Harmony was willing to leave.

Their last stop for the day was Harmony's wand. Vernon and Petunia were horrified to learn their daughter's wand was the brother of the wand that killed her other parents. Harmony looked a little green at the information. When she tried to get a different wand, the wandmaker reminded her that _the wand choose the witch_.

 **...**

The remaining summer weeks sped by for Harmony. She spent time with her parents, as much as she could. Once she left for Hogwarts, she wouldn't see her parents until December. When she had the spare time, Harmony looked over her new books. She was fascinated by some and irritated by others. She picked up a bunch of books some Lockhart guy. While the books had an interesting concept and they were well written, there wasn't any organization or flow to the plot. One moment, Lockhart was on a special tour throughout Europe when he heard about a village or someplace being terrorized by some kind of magical creature. There wasn't _really_ anything remarkable about Lockhart's books. There were better muggle nonfiction books. Muggle fiction was _way_ better – a league all its own.

After some begging and pleading, Petunia agreed to take Harmony to a _real_ bookstore. At the store, Harmony picked up over thirty fiction books. She got her favorites and she picked up some new ones. For the most part, Harmony borrowed her books from the library, but she wouldn't be around to visit the local library anymore. At least Petunia and Vernon knew to include books in care packages. Harmony would run out of books to read by Christmas.

In the time they spent together, Petunia started to share more stories about Lily, like her childhood friend Severus Snape, and Lily's early experience at Hogwarts. Petunia told Harmony about her feelings of jealousy that led to her fall out with Lily over magic, and she did regret that she never mend her relationship with Lily.

 **...**

On the thirty-first of August, Vernon and Petunia packed their daughter and her school things up in the family car before driving to London. They wanted to spend one last night together before Harmony left for school in the morning. They stayed the night at a hotel in downtown London, where they enjoyed a relaxing evening at the hotel's restaurant and some time in pool before watching a movie together. After the movie, it was time for bed.

Bright and early the next morning, Vernon and Petunia drove their daughter to King's Cross Station. With a sad smile, Petunia led her family onto Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. They watched as Harmony took her truck and her owl named Hedwig onto the train to claim a compartment. She returned ten minutes later to exchange hugs with her parents.

With a final hug, Harmony boarded the train as the whistle blew. Vernon and Petunia remained on the platform until the train left the station. With heavy hearts, they returned to the car and started the drive home. It would be strange without their daughter around.

Luckily, it was only 120 days until Harmony returned on the twentieth of December.

 **...**

Harmony wasn't the best at making friends. She wasn't popular in elementary school and she didn't have a lot of friends around Privet Drive. Most of the other children found her strange and irritating. When it came to making friends, she was nervous. She wanted to make _real_ friends. She understood she was famous for surviving the Killing Curse – on the same time her other parents were murdered. Her biggest fear was people would only befriend her because she was famous. At least people wouldn't think Harmony _Dursley_ was the Girl-Who-Lived Harmony Potter.

On the train, Harmony found an empty compartment that she claimed for herself and Hedwig. Shortly after leaving the station, Harmony was joined by a young girl with brown hair. This girl had an olive complexion and brown eyes. She was rather tall with a slender build.

"I'm Harmony," she said, looking up over her book.

"I'm Lilith Moon," the brunette girl replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

It took a little time, but Lilith started to open up. She was an orphan, raised by her grandmother. From what Harmony could gather, Lilith's grandmother wasn't very nice. As a pure-blood, Lilith was expected to be Sorted into Slytherin, like the rest of her family.

 **...**

At the Sorting, Professor McGonagall got Harmony's name correct as _Dursley, Harmony_. With a smile, Harmony bounced up to the stool and eagerly sat down before the Sorting Hat was lowered over her eyes.

 _"My, what a beautiful mind you have,"_ the Sorting Hat said, startling Harmony. _"You would do well in Ravenclaw with your passion for learning. You're loyal, a trait worthy of Hufflepuff. Now, where to put you?"_

Harmony remained quiet. She kind of wanted to go to Gryffindor, like her other parents, but she wasn't all that picky – as long as it wasn't Slytherin. As long as she could make friends and learn magic, Harmony would be happy.

 _"I see,"_ the Hat said. _"With your loyalty and intelligence, you would do well in_ _ **Ravenclaw!**_ _"_

With a smile, Harmony removed the Hat before heading towards the cheering blue and bronze table. She quickly took a seat. A little later, Lilith was sliding in next to Harmony with a sheepish smile, looking nervous.

"Grandmother's going to send me a Howler," she confessed in a whisper and fear in her voice.

Harmony didn't know what a Howler was, but she could conclude it wasn't good. From the little information she had, it sounded like a Howler was some kind of mail. Harmony decided to watch her friend's mail for the next few days, hoping to protect her.

 **...**

There were ten new first years in Ravenclaw – six girls and four boys. The girls were split into groups of three and placed in two separate dorms. Harmony found herself in a room with Lilith and Padma Patil.

They had a decent size room, a little bigger than her parents' room in Number Four. There were three beds – a dark wood, four-poster bed with blue sheets and matching curtains – against the wall, facing towards the windows. At the foot of each bed was a truck. Along one wall there were three dressers, and along another wall were three desks, each with a chair.

Harmony frowned as she looked over the room. While it was large room, it seemed cramped and crowded with all of the furniture. Surely there was a way to rearrange everything and make it more spacious. This was something Harmony would need to write her mom about. Petunia had a university degree in Interior Design and she ran a business out of the Number Four.

For the time being, Harmony had the middle bed with Lilith and Padma on either side of her. No one seemed to have a problem with it.

That first night the three girls stayed up until midnight, talking and getting to know one another. Lilith and Padma were both pure-blood and each had a strict upbringing. They were happy to explain everything to Harmony. Harmony told her new friends that she was adopted, but she kept her identities of her other parents to herself.

 **...**

Lilith's grandmother did send her a Howler, it arrived three days after the Sorting. An owl landed in front of Lilith and she paled at the sight of the red envelope. When Harmony noticed her friend's reaction, she grabbed the letter and held it over a candle. The parchment quickly caught on fire. When the letter was half burnt, Harmony dropped it.

"What did you do?" asked a fellow first year, Lisa Turpin. She was blonde with big brown eyes and she spoke with a lisp.

"Destroyed the letter," Harmony answered before returning to her breakfast. It wasn't _that_ big of a deal. While reading someone else's mail was illegal, it wasn't illegal to destroy another person's mail – was it? That was something Harmony would need to look into.

"Why?" demanded Terry Boot. He was tall with brown hair and hazel eyes. "It's Moon's mail, and you're being rude."

Harmony shrugged. He made a good point, but she didn't feel bad about her actions. "Because it's clear she didn't want to read it," she replied.

"Thanks, Harmony," Lilith said with a smile.

Harmony returned the smile.

 **...**

With Lilith and Padma by her side, Harmony easily adjusted to her life at Hogwarts. There were days when she was homesick, missing her family, and she would write her parents a long letter before Padma and Lilith would distract with homework.

Between the three girls, Lilith was the smartest while Padma was passionate and Harmony had the strongest magic. Most of the time, Lilith was able to perform the spell first where Padma would be the first to master it and Harmony would over power the spell. After Padma mastered the spell, she would assist Lilith, then the two of them were assist Harmony.

When it came to homework, each girl had her own system. They would research their essays together, usually in the library. Harmony didn't know how her friends' systems worked, but she used the one her dad taught her. She would start with basic research before creating an outline. With the outline, she would know where to better focus further research. Once all of her research was done, Harmony would write a rough draft and set it aside. A day or two later, she would look over the draft and make corrections and changes before she would write a new version. After the second version, she would look over the essay once more, making changes before submitting a third version.

 **...**

It wasn't until Halloween when the topic of Harmony's parents _really_ came up. When she was younger, Petunia and Vernon weren't fond of Halloween. They would indulge their daughter with a custom and trick or treating. At the age of ten, Harmony learned why her parents disliked Halloween, it was the day her other parents were murdered. Since learning the truth, Harmony's opinion of Halloween changed. It was still a fun holiday, but it was a sad occasion.

"What's wrong?" asked Sue Li at breakfast that morning. Sue was a short girl with long black hair and dark eyes.

"Nothing, really," Harmony answered as she poured herself some tea. "I just don't like Halloween."

Michael Corner glared at her before muttering something to his friends – Sean Travers, Mandy Brocklehurst and Anthony Goldstein – that caused both of them to laugh as they snuck glances at Harmony.

"Anything you wanna share?" demanded Sue. She was hot-headed with a quick temper.

"It's called _Samhain_ , not Halloween," stated Michael. He had short black hair and brown eyes.

"Mudblood," added Anthony with a smirk. He had dark skin with short dark hair and dark eyes.

Everyone around them quieted down, turning to watch the exchange between the first years.

"Take that back!" demanded Sue, jumping to her feet.

"Never," vowed Anthony. "A mudblood has no place in our world."

"You're a horrible person!" Lilith stated, looking angry.

Harmony grew concerned. Lilith was the level-headed and passive one, and she was getting angry. Clearly, there something going on. It had to be related to that word "mudblood." She would need to learn what it meant. She could tell it was a derogatory term, meant to be insulting.

"Take it back!" Sue repeated, stalking closer to Anthony and his friends.

"I won't," Anthony said, "and you can't make me."

"What's going on here?" demanded Penelope Clearwater, the fifth year female Prefect. She was a pretty young woman with straight blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes.

"Sue just started demanding things for us," Mandy explained. "Things she had no right to demand."

"Take it back!" demanded Sue, looking ready to lunge at the three.

"Go sit down, Li," ordered Penelope. "If you keep this behavior up, I'll be forced to assign you detention."

"Not until they apology," Sue stated, her hands clenched into fists.

"I won't," Anthony repeated, crossing his arms.

"You will, if you know it's good for you," Sue stated.

"I will repeat myself one more time," Penelope said. "What is going on here?"

"Anthony called Harmony a m-mudblood," Lilith answered.

Penelope's blue eyes narrowed as she turned to look at Anthony and his friends. "Miss Li, please return to your seat," she said, her tone cold.

Sue glared at the three before turning and storming back to her seat next to Harmony.

"Mister Goldstein, Mister Corner, Miss Brocklehurst, please come with me," Penelope ordered.

The three first years protested as Penelope's eyes narrowed further.

"I will summon Professor Flitwick unless you come with me _now_ ," she stated, her tone hard and cold.

Anthony, Michael, and Mandy stopped talking as they rose from their seats and followed the fifth year. Each turned to glare at Sue, Lilith, and Harmony.

"Why don't you like Halloween?" Lisa asked, trying to break the tension settling over the table.

"It's the day my parents died," Harmony answered.

"I didn't know you were an orphan," Sue said.

Harmony shook her head. "I'm not," she explained. "I was adopted by my birth mom's sister."

"Lucky," Sue muttered, her tone a little dark.

"I am," Harmony agreed. "I have two sets of parents that love and care for me."

"Let's go to class," suggested Padma.

Together, the group of five girls headed off to Potions. Sean Travers followed a few steps behind.

 **...**

"Please stay behind, Miss Dursley," Professor Flitwick said as Charms class was dismissed.

A few of the students snickered as they left with Anthony shooting a smirk in Harmony's direction.

"Want us to stay?" asked Padma, concern in her voice.

"It's fine, I'll catch you guys later," Harmony responded with a shrug. She turned and walked down to the professor.

Harmony was forced to wait a moment as the professor finished up gathering the homework and organizing his lesson plans.

"Thank you for waiting, Miss Dursley," the Charms professor said. "Now, I understand there was an incidentat breakfast this morning."

Harmony waited for the professor to continue speaking before she opened her mouth. "Sue and I were discussing Halloween," she explained. "I merely told Sue why I don't like this day."

Professor Flitwick nodded, a sad look in his eyes. "The loss of James and Lily was hard on a lot of people," he agreed. "Ten years later, and I still miss Lily."

"How well did you know my other parents?" Harmony asked. She knew a few stories about them, mostly Lily. When she left for Hogwarts, Petunia had started opening up about her sister.

"I taught them for seven years," Flitwick answered with a smile. "James was troublemaker, always getting into trouble with those three friends of his, and Lily was one of my best students."

Harmony smiled, eager to learn about Lily and her time at Hogwarts. She made a mental note to look into James' friends. Maybe there was someone who could tell her about him.

"What else happened this morning?" the Head of Ravenclaw asked.

"Michael told me it's Samhain, not Halloween," Harmony recounted, "and Anthony called me a mudblood, which made Sue mad."

The professor's eye narrowed. "I will talk with Mister Corner, Mister Goldstein, and Miss Brocklehurst," he stated.

"Professor, what does mudblood mean?" she asked. "I can deduce it's a derogatory term, but I don't know what it means."

"Mudblood means 'dirty blood,'" the professor explained with a sigh. "It's a word commonly used by pure-bloods against muggle-borns."

Harmony nodded, a frown on her face.

"Don't let them discourage you," Professor Flitwick told her. "You have the best parts of your parents – Lily's intelligence and kindness, and James' loyalty and work ethic."

"I won't, professor," Harmony promised.

"Have a good evening, Miss Dursley," the professor told her.

"I have one more question professor," she said.

Professor Flitwick motioned for her to speak.

"Can I skip the feast tonight?" she asked. Harmony understood it was an important feast, but this wasn't something she wanted to celebrate.

The professor frowned before agreeing to let her miss it.

 **...**

Later that night, Lilith and Padma told Harmony could the feast. The feast was interrupted by Professor Quirrell announcing their was a troll loose somewhere in the castle. Headmaster Dumbledore had ordered the students to return to their common rooms as the professors went off in search of the troll.

"Where did Quirrell say the troll was?" Harmony asked with a frown.

"In the dungeons," Padma answered.

"How could a troll get into the dungeons?" the dark haired girl asked. "It would have to the entrance hall _and_ several wards."

Lilith and Padma shrugged. Neither of them had really thought about that.

Harmony shook her head, questioning the logic of witches and wizards. There was times, like now, when they seemed to lack basic logic.

"Why did you miss the feast?" Padma asked, eating a handful of candy corn.

"Halloween makes me sad," Harmony replied with a shrug. "My parents died ten years ago. Besides, what's so special about Halloween?"

"It's the anniversary of the death of You-Know-Who," Lilith answered, nibbling on a chocolate bar. "We celebrate the day and honor the Girl-Who-Lived."

Harmony snorted at the mention. Why would people want to celebrate the day James and Lily died? It was horrible.

"Is there something wrong with our traditions?" asked Padma with narrowed eyes.

"Yes, there is," Harmony responded with a glare. "Why do you people this is appropriate to celebrate _my parents' deaths_? It makes me sick. This is the day my parents were murdered and I was orphaned." Without another word, Harmony stormed off to her bed and she drew the curtains.

 **...**

It took three days before Lilith and Padma brought up the conversaion.

"So, your parents were James and Lily Potter?" Padma asked before bed.

"That's one set," Harmony said, "and the other are Vernon and Petunia Dursley."

"Why don't use the name Potter?" Lilith asked.

Harmony shrugged. "I've been Harmony Dursley for as long as I can remember," she explained. "My parents – Vernon and Petunia – adopted me when I was two."

"Why didn't you tell anyone?" Lilith questioned, sharing a glance with Padma.

"I don't think it's anyone's business," Harmony replied.

Padma and Lilith agreed, both promising to keep Harmony's identity a secret. She made a good point: everyone was allowed privacy.

"Besides, if a witch or wizard doesn't check public records it's not my fault," Harmony added. From what she understood, her adoption was public record in the Muggle World.

 **...**

As the Winter Holidays approached, everyone started announcing their plans. Lilith was banned from returning home while Padma and Harmony were expected to go home. So, Harmony wrote her parents, asking if Lilith could join them. She didn't want to leave one of her best friends behind at school.

Vernon and Petunia knew all about Harmony's friends – Lilith, Padma, Sue, and Lisa. Harmony regularly mentioned Lilith and Padma, her best friends, in her letters. Harmony's parents were happy to invite Lilith, and it was easy to change their plans. It was nice to have excuse to miss Vernon's company's Christmas party.

"Don't put your name down," Harmony told Lilith when Professor Flitwick presented them with the sign-up sheet for students remaining at school.

Lilith and Padma looked at her in confusion.

With a smile, Harmony explained, "I think coming home with me would be more fun. My parents have invited you." She handed Lilith a letter from her parents.

Lilith's brown eyes lit up at the news and she eagerly read the letter before pulling Harmony into a hug.

 **...**

To be honest, Harmony wasn't that impressed with the Magical World. It was stuck in the Victorian Era, and people were _extremely_ bias. Why did it matter if she had a muggle last name? She was just as magical as anyone else. Michael and his friends, Anthony and Mandy, continued to bully Harmony. It increased when the House rankings were released. Lilith had the top spot with Harmony in second and Padma in sixth.

There was bias in the professors. Professor Snape took points from every House except for Slytherin and he rarely awarded points to another House than his own. Professor McGonagall was harsher on the Slytherins. Meanwhile Professor Flitwick was nice, but he awarded more points to his own House, and Professor Sprout was the fairest, thought she awarded less points to Gryffindor and Slytherin compared to her own House and Ravenclaw.

Several of Lilith's acquaintances from Slytherin disproved of Harmony and Padma – the former was a mudblood and the latter was a foreigner. They also disproved of Lilith's placement in Ravenclaw. The worst were Pansy Parkinson and Millicent Bulstrode.

Even people in Ravenclaw were mean, especially if someone got an answer wrong. Harmony witnessed Michael and his friends bully the others. The most popular target was Padma Patil because she was considered a Ravenclaw of _average intelligence_. The same people that bullied Padma tried to suck up to Lilith. Michael and Mandy were the worst. There were a few times when they _expected_ Harmony to share her homework with them or do their homework for them.

 **...**

When the train pulled into King's Cross, Harmony grabbed her trunk as she sprinted off. Lilith was a few steps behind her friend, smiling at Harmony's eagerness. Like a bullet, Harmony shot out of the train and across the platform where her parents were waiting near the barrier.

"Mom! Dad!" she shouted as she ran to greet him, her friends trying to keep up.

Vernon and Petunia smiled at their daughter's actions. It was great to see her again.

Stopping in front of them, Harmony dropped her trunk before throwing her arms around her parents. She broke the hug after a moment by taking a step back. She couldn't be too rude to her friend.

"Mom, dad, this is Lilith, one of my best friends," she said. "Lilith, these are my parents, Vernon and Petunia."

Ducking her head, Lilith said, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Dursley. Thanks for having me."

"Call us Vernon and Petunia," Harmony's dad said with a smile.

"I understand you're the smartest witch of your class," Petunia said.

Lilith's face turned pink as she nodded.

A few minutes later, Vernon and Petunia were escorting their daughter and Lilith out to the car. As they walked, Lilith's brown eyes were wide as she glanced around her. This was first time in the Muggle World.

When they got to the car, Lilith started asking questions, unable to contain herself. Petunia and Harmony were happy to answer all the questions they could as Vernon began the drive back to Number Four.

 **...**

The Winter Holidays were great. Vernon and Petunia took the girls around Surrey and London, looking at the holiday sights. One night, they saw _The Nutcracker_ in London, and they were able to go backstage. Petunia was friends with the director, knowing her back when they both took beginner ballet classes.

Christmas was spent at Number Four. Petunia and Harmony cooked together, trying to teach Lilith. Lilith had never _seen_ someone cook before. Her grandmother had house-elves, and the house-elves didn't allow anyone into the kitchen. By Christmas, Lilith had mastered how to boil water and use the microwave. She was eager to assist in anyway she could.

With help from Harmony, Vernon and Petunia had picked up a few gifts for Lilith, wanting her to feel included. Harmony ordered a few things for her friend using the catalogues she got in Diagon Alley. A trip into Muggle London and help from Harmony yield gifts for Vernon and Petunia from Lilith.

On Christmas morning, Harmony sat on the floor, feeling nervous about her parents' gift. She knew her parents would be disappointed when they learned how much money she spent, but she hoped they would love the gift – and she would escape punishment.

Petunia was surprised to open her daughter's gift and received a potion phial. The liquid was lavender in color. Vernon's gift was similar, only light green in color.

Lilith gasped at the sight, her brown eyes wide.

With a blush, Harmony explained, "It's a fertility potion. I know you want another child, and these are safe for muggles to use."

Vernon and Petunia stared at their gifts with mixed emotions. They longed for another child. Both of them planned on having more than one child, but they were happy with Harmony. She made them a family.

 **...**

In January, Lilith and Harmony returned to Hogwarts. The rest of the year went by in a blurs of homework, reading, textbooks, and stern professors. Lilith remained the top student in their year with Harmony directly behind her. Padma continued to hold strong in the top ten. Together, the three girls started reading ahead to second year material.

The school year ended with Professor Quirrell visiting the third floor corridor and going crazy from some mirror. The headmaster didn't reveal too many details.

Before anyone knew it, the year was over. Padam, Lilith and Harmony tried to make plans for the summer. They would write. Padma was headed to India for the summer, making a visit impossible. Lilith and Harmony had plans for Lilith to come stay at Number Four for some part of the summer.

At King's Cross, Harmony briefly met Padma's parents and her younger brother and she caught sight of Lilith with an older woman, probably her grandmother. The woman look mean as she grabbed Lilith by the arm and pulled the girl away. A few seconds later, Harmony was distracted by the arrival of her parents.

 **...**

Harmony's summer holidays went well. Petunia was almost four months pregnant. Neither had wanted to write Harmony with the news in event they lost the child, again. Both Vernon and Petunia were excited. Harmony helped her mom plan the nursery, and she tried to help her dad put the furniture together. They failed, and Vernon decided to hire someone to put the furniture together for them.

Petunia and Harmony picked out baby clothes and accessories for the room. They started brainstorming ideas. Petunia wanted to follow her father's family tradition of naming children after plants.

While Harmony was busy with the nursery and working on her summer homework, she noticed Lilith wasn't writing. Padma had noticed the same. While Harmony was hurt by her friend's actions, she didn't dwell on them. She would get answers in September.

In July, Vernon and Petunia surprised Harmony with a trip to Spain. With the money for Harmony's care, they were able to afford a week long trip to Spain. During the week, they stayed in Madrid. There were a lot of things to see and do in and around the city. There were trips to the museum, visits to the beach, and plenty of shopping.

 **...**

On the twenty-eighth of July, Harmony heard from Lilith, kind of. That night she showed up in the middle of the night, knocking on the door. Since it was after ten, Vernon was the only one up. He opened the door with a frown to find his daughter's best friend. Lilith's face was black and blue, and she was shaking in her ripped and stained nightgown.

As gently as he could, Vernon ushered Lilith into the house. He sat her down on the couch as he dashed off into the kitchen, making her a cup of tea and getting some clean and warm clothes from the laundry room. A few extra blankets were kept in the laundry room linen closet. He grabbed a blanket and a set of his daughter's pajamas.

Back out in the living room, Vernon handed the blanket and the pajamas to Lilith.

"The bathroom's over there," he reminded her, pointing to the closed door located off of the dining room. "I'll make you some tea."

When Vernon returned to the living room ten minutes later, he found Lilith was changed and curled up in the blanket on the couch. Placing the cup of tea on the coffee table in front of Lilith, Vernon took a seat in his favorite armchair.

"Can I get you anything?" he asked, feeling a little helpless. He wasn't sure what to do in this situation. Should he press Lilith for answers or should he wait and let her open up on her own?

Lilith shook her head as she reached out to grab the cup of tea. The action allowed Vernon a glance at her arms, which had scars and bruise. There appeared to be some kind of writing on the interior Lilith's right wrist.

The pair sat in relative silence as Lilith slipped her tea.

Vernon wasn't sure how long they spent in the living room. After Lilith finished her tea, she curled up the couch. She looked ready to fall asleep.

"Come on," Vernon announced, getting to his feet. "Let's get you settled in the guest room."

Lilith blinked at him before standing up. She slowly followed Vernon up to the guest room, which was cleaned and readied for a guest.

After he got Lilith settled into the guest room, Vernon decided to head to bed himself. While he didn't want to disturbed his wife, Vernon gently shook Petunia awake. He didn't want her to wake up and discover their guest on her own. She deserved a warning.

 **...**

Lilith spent most of the next day sleeping in the guest room. Petunia had Harmony sort through her clothes in order to get some basic things for Lilith to wear. They would need to go shopping for some other more _personal_ items later.

It was after lunch when Lilith joined Petunia and Harmony in the kitchen.

"Good afternoon, Lilith," Petunia greeted with a kind smile.

Slowly, Lilith returned the smile before taking a seat next to Harmony.

"Did you sleep well?" Harmony asked. That wasn't the question she _really_ wanted to ask, but her parents told her not to pry because that was their job.

Lilith nodded.

The day passed slowly with Lilith hanging around Harmony, barely leaving her friend's side. She didn't speak much, preferring to nod or shake her head. Like over the Winter Holidays, Lilith assisted Harmony and Petunia in the kitchen with making dinner. It was really Harmony doing most of the work as Petunia supervised from the table.

Vernon arrived home from work to Lilith setting the table and Harmony finishing dinner while Petunia was relaxed on the couch with a glass of lemonade. Dinner was tense affair with small talk, mostly Vernon telling his family and Lilith about his day at work.

It wasn't until after dinner that Vernon and Petunia sat Lilith down in the living room while Harmony did the dishes.

"What's going on?" Petunia asked.

It took more prying and promises of not spending her home before Lilith told Vernon and Petunia about her summer. Her grandmother was enraged and she made her displeasure known. She was furious that Lilith was Sorted into Ravenclaw instead of Slytherin, and her temper only grew upon learning Lilith was friends with a mudblood and foreigner.

As a result, Lilith spent most of her summer locked in her bedroom with one meal a day. She was slapped around by either her grandmother or another relative in between "remedial lessons" of being a proper pure-blood.

The night before Lilith discovered someone forgot to lock the door. So, she ran for it. Before leaving the house, she found a wand that wasn't hers. She ran for as long as she could before summoning the Knight Bus, which she took the Number Four. The driver was kind enough to take her all the way even though she didn't have any money. The girl was dressed in a thin nightgown without any shoes on.

 **...**

The first of August found Vernon and Petunia filing for custody of their daughter's best friend. Lilith needed a better home – a kind and loving one – and the girl seemed unwilling to leave Harmony's side. They had the room for another child and they could easily afford it. The only issue was getting custody.

With Lilith's knowledge, they hired the best magical lawyer money and Harmony's name could buy. The lawyer threw money and Harmony's name around, and their request for custody was granted. The Noble House of Moon wanted nothing to do with their disappointing member, and they were happy to be rid of her. Lilith was disowned in all but name and magic.

* * *

Words: ~7,000

* * *

 **Students Sorted in 1991**

Ravenclaw – Six girls and six boys  
 _Girls_ : Mandy Brocklehurst; Harmony Dursley; Lilith Moon; Padma Patil; Sue Li; and Lisa Turpin  
 _Boys_ : Terry Boot; Michael Corner; Stephan Cornfoot; Kevin Entwhistle; Anthony Goldstein; and Sean Travers

Hufflepuff – Six girls and six boys  
 _Girls_ : Hannah Abbott; Susan Bones; Leanne Clearwater; Megan Jones; Morag MacDougal; and Sally-Anne Perks  
 _Boys_ : Justin Finch-Fletchley; Wayne Hopkins; Tommy Johnson; Ernie Macmillan; Roger Malone; and Oliver Rivers

Gryffindor – Six girls and six boys  
 _Girls_ : Kellah Bem; Lavender Brown; Fay Dunbar; Hermione Granger; Parvati Patil; and Sophie Roper  
 _Boys_ : James Andrews; Seamus Finnigan; Neville Longbottom; Sebastian Smith; Dean Thomas; and Ron Weasley

Slytherin – Six girls and six boys  
 _Girls_ : Millicent Bulstrode; Tracey Davis; Daphne Greengrass; Pansy Parkinson; Alana Runcorn; and Sally Smith  
 _Boys_ : Vincent Crabbe; Gregory Goyle; Draco Malfoy; Theodore Nott; Mauricius Selwyn; and Blaise Zabini

* * *

Ravenclaw Clique  
One: Harmony Dursley, Padma Patil, and Lilith Moon  
Two: Michael Corner, Anthony Goldstein, and Mandy Brocklehurst  
Three: Kevin Entwhistle, Stephan Cornfoot, and Terry Boot  
Four: Sue Li and Lisa Turpin  
Loner: Sean Travers

* * *

This fanfiction is a part of The Halloween Collection, which is a collection of unconnected ficlets, oneshots, and multi-chaptered fanfiction stories that are all related to a Halloween themed word, located in each story or chapter. It's a total of thirty-one parts spread out between thirteen stories.  
Type: Multi-chaptered – One of eight  
Word: Blood

 _Accord de le Destin_ – Susan Bones and Hesper Potter (female!Harry) – Ficlet  
 _Her Niece and His Goddaughter_ – Petunia Evans, Sirius Black and Helen Evans-Potter – Oneshot  
 _Love on Her Arm_ – Bill Weasley/Hyacinthe Potter (female!Harry) – Multi-chaptered  
 _Of Flames and Snow_ – Crossover with _Game of Thrones_ – Jon Snow/Hedera Winters (female!Harry) – Oneshot  
 _A Tale of Two Lilies_ – Lily Evans and Haley Pnarcissus (female!Harry) – Multi-chaptered  
 _Bonds of Family_ – Lilith Moon and Harmony Dursley – Currently reading  
 _Just a Glance_ – Crossover with _Twilight_ – Jacob Black/Heather Potter (female!Harry) – Oneshot  
 _Shine Bright_ – Crossover with _Hawaii Five-0_ – Danny Williams/Helene Potter (female!Harry) – Multi-chaptered  
 _Whispered Conversations_ – Ron Weasley/Helenium Potter (female!Harry) – Oneshot  
 _Emmett Cullen: Triwizard Champion_ – Crossover with _Twilight_ – Emmett Cullen/Rosalie Hale (Harry is Emmett) – Multi-chaptered  
 _Enchanting_ – Abraxas Malfoy/Halesia Potter (female!Harry) – Multi-chaptered  
 _Eclipsed_ – Tom Marvolo Riddle/Heliconia Potter (female!Harry) – Oneshot  
 _Silent Symphony_ – Hepatica Potter – Multi-chaptered


	2. Second Year

**Fandom:** Harry Potter  
 **Pairings:** Vernon Dursley/Petunia Evans Dursley, and mentions of James Potter/Lily Evans Potter  
 **Warnings:** alternate universe; female!Harry (Harmony); het; nice and loving!Vernon and Petunia Dursley; mentions of death and murder; mentions of off-screen character death; mentions of child abuse; mentions of bullying; Sorted into a Different House; and not Gildeory Lockhart friendly  
 **Prompt:** (Word) Spider

 **Summary:** To Harmony, it didn't matter what people said. Vernon and Petunia were her parents, Lilith was her sister, and she was a Dursley.

* * *

Family isn't always blood. It's the people in your life who want you in theirs; the ones who accept you for who you are. The ones who would do anything to see you smile and who love you.  
–Anonymous

* * *

 **Bonds of Family  
** _Second Year_

"Girls, mail!" Petunia Dursley called when she spotted a pair of owls winging towards the house.

The owls landed on the windowsill as she heard feet running towards the stairs. One of the owls pecked on the window, which Petunia opened. The two owls entered, each holding out their leg. Petunia took the letter from each owl before giving each one a piece of bacon.

The owls took off as the girls entered the kitchen with Lilith Moon a few steps ahead of Harmony Dursley. With a smile, Petunia presented the two letters and the girls eagerly opened theirs.

Harmony looked over her grades before passing them to her mom as she turned her attention to the supply list. Her noise wrinkled at the sight of the Defense Against the Dark Arts textbooks. It was those horrible Lockhart books. Luckily, Harmony possessed the ones she bought last summer. There was only one she didn't own.

When Lilith was done with her grades, she glanced between her best friend and Petunia before timidly offering Petunia hers. Petunia took the parchment with a smile.

Both Harmony and Lilith did well. Lilith finished second in their class and she had all O's while Harmony was fourth in their class with O's in every class expect Herbology.

"When are we going to Diagon Alley? Harmony asked, giving her mom the supply list.

"Sometime in the next week," Petunia replied. "I'll check with Vernon."

 **...**

That evening, Vernon announced he would be taking the girls to Diagon Alley in two days time – on Friday. Petunia would remain at Number Four since she was five months pregnant and it was a high-risk pregnancy, according to her doctor. While their unborn child was fighter, neither Vernon or Petunia wanted to take any chances with unnecessary risks.

The two days were spent with Harmony and Lilith making a list of what they needed. Lilith needed new everything since she left her trunk behind when she ran away from her grandmother's house and the woman refused to return any of Lilith's belongings.

 **...**

Friday morning found Vernon leading Lilith and Harmony to Gringotts. Vernon made the daring ride down to Harmony's Trust Vault, where she withdrew a good amount of gold for hers and Lilith's school supplies. After a long conversation, Vernon and Petunia agreed to let Harmony cover the school supplies. Vernon had an idea about the wealth that was awaiting when she turned seventeen. By allowing Harmony to cover the _magical_ school supplies, they would be able to cover other things, like clothes.

After the Trust Vault, the goblin took them to one of the Potter vaults. This vault contained some the Potter family belongings, like paintings and furniture. There were countless heirlooms in the vault. There were hundreds of books, several weapons, amour, and numerous other items, like clothings and school trunks. Lilith led Harmony over to the clothing and they started sorting through it while Harmony would cast longing looks over at the books and Vernon looked over the furniture.

"Harmony!" Lilith snapped, her hands on her hips. "This is important. You need to pay attention."

With a sigh, Harmony turned her full attention to the clothes and her friend.

"Remember, you're learning to recognize your house crest, colors, and saying," Lilith explained, her tone gentle and firm.

Nodding, Harmony turned her attention to the clothing. Lilith had a good point. She needed to learn these things about her magical family. According to Lilith, on her thirteenth birthday, Harmony could become Heiress Potter. Before she could become Heiress Potter, Harmony needed to learn about her family's history – things like the family colors, motto, crust, Alliances, important members, and _so much_ more.

Amongst the clothing, Harmony found a set of formal robes. They were gray with silver trim, and there was a crest on the left breast. The crest was a triangle with a smaller circle inside of it and a line dividing the triangle in half.

Harmony looked at the robes with a frown. Gray and silver weren't her family colors, and that wasn't her family crest, though the crest did look familiar. She sat it aside. Maybe Lilith would recognize it.

"Colors?" Lilith asked.

"Aqua and dark gold," Harmony replied, picking up a formal robe of those colors.

"That's a DeLaurentis!" Lilith cried, reaching out to take the robe. Her brown eyes were wide as she looked it over.

"A DeLaurentis?" her best friend repeated, sounding both confused and amused.

Lilith blushed as she explained, "This is a Annabelle DeLaurentis dress robe. They're rare."

Harmony nodded. There seemed to be more to the story, but she wasn't going to press Lilith for all the details.

"What's your family crest?" Lilith asked, setting the DeLaurtentis robe aside.

"A highland tiger on a field of aqua."

"What's the other name for highland tiger?"

"Scottish wildcat."

"What is your family's motto?"

"Ever Vigilant."

"Good," Lilith smiled. "You're learning."

Harmony returned the smile.

Once they were done with the clothing, Harmony dashed off to the books. Eagerly, she started looking through the numerous books. As she pulled books off of the shelves, a pile quickly formed next to her.

"Make sure you grab some of your ancestors' journals," Lilith told her.

As Harmony played with the books, Lilith looked over the trunks. After inspecting a few, she found one that made expansion runes carved into. Picking up, she was pleased to note there were Feather-Light Charms cast on it.

A little later, Vernon was telling the girls to finish up. Lilith pulled the trunk over to her friend and started piling the books in while Harmony rushed to find a few more. After collecting three more books, Harmony started helping Lilith place everything inside of the trunk.

Once they were done at Gringotts, Vernon took the girls to Rosa Lee Teabag. He needed something to calm his stomach with after the roller coaster cart ride. There was a lovely jasmine tea that smoothed his stomach last year available at Rosa Lee Teabag. Besides, a pot of tea and some biscuits was always a good idea.

 **...**

After visiting Rosa Lee Teabag, the visit to Diagon Alley was rather quick. They collected everything Lilith would need for the upcoming school year – school robes, causal robes, cauldrons, telescope, and a new trunk. As they purchased Lilith's new belongings, they picked up the new supplies and refilled Harmony's potion kit.

Getting Lilith a new wand went rather quickly, in comparison to Harmony's visit the year before. Apparently, Lilith was getting her _own_ wand this time. The last school year was using an ancestor's wand. While the wand worked, it wasn't the prefect match. In the end, Lilith was the proud owner of a ten and two-third inch wand made out of hazel with unicorn hair.

The final stop was Flourish and Blotts. While it was predominately a bookstore, it sold books, parchments, quills, ink, and stationary. While Lilith and Vernon gathered parchment, quills, and ink for the girls, Harmony started collecting books. The first books she collected were the assigned textbooks, both for herself and Lilith. Once she had the required books, Harmony started gathering more books for herself. This year she paid attention to the History section, interesting in learning more about her ancestors, and the different types of magic. There were several subjects that she wasn't learning at Hogwarts, like Runes.

With everything purchased and packed away in either Lilith's new trunk or the trunk from the Potter vault, Vernon took the girls back to the car. Before leaving London, he stopped off at a large bookstore. He knew his daughter, she would be interested in new books. This would also be Lilith's first visit to a Muggle bookstore. While Harmony skipped off to gather novels, Lilith spent her time looking over the children's picture books and young adult graphic novels. She had never seen anything like these before. There were big and colorful picture in children's book in the Magical World nor where the books that told the _entire_ story in pictures with words.

Vernon allowed the girls to spend ninety minutes in the bookstore before he announced it was time to go. Harmony gathered a few more books on her way to the register while Lilith had trouble leaving the comic books about superheroes.

 **...**

Before anyone knew it, it was the first of September. This year, the family stayed at Number Four. In the morning, they loaded up the car before Vernon drove the family to King's Cross station. This year, Vernon and Petunia only took Lilith and Harmony as far as platform nine and platform ten. They wanted to be careful. People at the Ministry of Magic knew who Vernon and Petunia were, and those same people knew their niece was Harmony Potter, the Girl-Who-Lived.

"Be sure to write," Petunia told both Lilith and Harmony with tears running down her face. She didn't want her girls to leave, but it was time for them to return to school. They would be home for the Winter Holidays.

After a few rounds of hugs, Lilith and Harmony disappeared with a wave, leaving Petunia and Vernon behind. From Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, Lilith and Harmony boarded the train and they claimed a compartment in the middle. Together, they loaded their trunks into the overhead storage before making themselves comfortable. Lilith stretched out on her side of the compartment while Harmony let Hedwig out of her cage.

They were soon joined by Padma Patil. She wore a frown, and her dark hair was cut short.

"I don't wanna talk about it," she muttered, taking a seat next to Harmony.

"Can we talk about our summers?" Harmony asked.

Padma nodded. "Mine was long, boring, and hot," she explained. "Any questions?"

Harmony and Lilith quickly shook their heads.

"What did you get for number eight on the Herbology homework?" Lilith asked, pulling out her summer homework.

Summer homework was a safe conversation topic. Each girl had completed her homework. They were comparing answers and debating their results. Once the topic was homework was done, they turned to the new textbooks.

"I'm _excited_ we have Lockhart's books," Padma gushed. "They're _so_ fascinating."

Harmony's lips curled in disgust at the mention of those books and fascinating in the same sentence. Each person was entitled to their own opinion, but she still had trouble accepting Lockhart's books.

"Here, read this," Harmony said, shoving _The Hobbit_ into Padma's hands. "Lockhart's books aren't that great, and this is an amazing work of fiction – one of the best in the English language."

With a shrug, Padma opened the book to the first page. She knew her friend was passionate about reading. All too soon silence deceased in the compartment as they each started reading. Lilith was reading about Supergirl while Harmony was learning about Runes.

When the train pulled into Hogsmeade Station, the girls quickly scrambled to pull on their school robes before leaving the train. They joined a few older students in horseless carriages that took them up to the school.

 **...**

Harmony found the Sorting Ceremony to be rather boring. Last year, it was a nerve-racking experience. This year it was long and dull. She watched as first year after first year was called by Professor McGonagall, each had the Sorting Hat placed on their head then there was the wait until the Hat declared a House. The House in question would clap and cheer for their newest member.

She would join in with the other Ravenclaws as a new student was Sorted into their House, but she didn't really pay that much attention. As she tried to focus, Harmony found herself wishing that she brought a book with her. Padma was busy reading _The Hobbit_ , oblivious to the world around her.

To be honest, Harmony couldn't even recall what Headmaster Dumbledore's announcements were. She was startled when the students started clapping, and she quickly joined it. Glancing around, she spotted a man standing up at the staff table. The man looked familiar, but Harmony couldn't place him. He was probably the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor,

there was something unnerving about the man's smile. It was too white and too perfect. It was completely and totally unnatural – unnatural in the sense that it wasn't natural. The smile had to be the result of spells and potions – or Muggle plastic surgery.

 **...**

By far, Harmony's favorite class was a tie between Charms and Transfiguration. According to the professors, she took after her other parents because Lilith was talented in Charms while James in Transfiguration. Harmony found Charms came easier. The magic was easier to manipulate, and she took less time to master each spell. In Transfiguration, Harmony had difficulty with the finer details, and she spent more time practicing the spell before she able to master it. Luckily, Harmony liked a challenge.

While it was a difficult class, Harmony found that she enjoyed Potions. Professor Snape was strict instructor who demanded a high level of work from his students. It was no secret that Professor Snape favored his own House. In comparison, he was kinder to Ravenclaw than either Hufflepuff or Gryffindor. Harmony could help but wonder if this man was related to the Severus Snape from Lily and Petunia's childhood.

Herbology was a fun class, but Harmony didn't care for magical plants. Magical plants had properties she wasn't aware of, and a level of caregiving that she didn't like. Muggle plants were easy: plant with soil, fertilize, water, and watch it grow.

Like most of the students, Harmony ignored Professor Binns in History of Magic. She read the textbook and she did research while taking careful notes. It was hard to say what was important when it came to essays and tests.

Astronomy wasn't a bad class, but it was one Harmony didn't care for. Growing up in the Muggle World, she was exposed to NASA and outer space exploration. She had seen images of the satellites of Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. There pieces of the moon in museums around the world. Two years, the Hubble Space Telescope had been launched, sending images back to Earth. The Hubble Space Telescope wasn't the first satellite telescope, but it was the latest and greatest.

Defense Against the Dark Arts was easily Harmony's least favorite class. While she good at the practical work and she enjoyed reading, the professor was the issue. Last year, it was hard to understand what Professor Quirrell was saying. This year, Professor Lockhart made the class all about himself. He was horrible teacher and he had difficulty staying focused during lectures. It was clear, his favorite subject was himself and his numerous awards. While didn't like the class or the professor, Harmony did the homework and she forced herself to read the textbooks. While reading the textbooks, Harmony started to notice some dates and facts were off. Like in _Wandering with Werewolves_ , Lockhart mentioned a cure for werewolves and in _Year with the Yeti_ , he mentioned his cover shoot for _Witch Weekly_ , which happened in July while he was supposed to be rescuing a wizard from a yeti attack.

 **...**

When classes began, Harmony quickly fell into the routine of homework, research, studying, and practicing. For each new spell she learned, Harmony spent thirty minutes practicing it every day until she had it master. After she had the spell mastered, she cast it at least once a week, making sure she remember the wand movements and incantation.

When it came to her assigned reading, Harmony tried to read each section two or three times. She would read it after class. A day or so later she would read it a second, making her notes. If there was the time, she would go through a third time, summarizing each section.

Her essay writing process remained the same as the year before: outline, research, first draft, corrections and additives, second drafter, revisions, and final copy. With the outline, she knew where to focus her research, allowing her to save time. Harmony tried to complete her essays a day or two before the due date. It allowed for less stress.

Classes were more difficulty this year, and the material was harder. Professors had higher levels or expectations. Luckily, the workload remained the same. Once essay per class a week with assigned reading from the textbook and practical work.

There were times she could catch sight of Hermione Granger in the library. The girl had books piled around her, and she was scribbling away on parchment. From what she had witnessed in class, Granger turned in essays _way_ longer than required. It was likely she lost points, taking her grade down a letter.

 **...**

With school in full swing, time sped by. Harmony and Lilith were in regular communication with Vernon and Petunia, usually exchanging one letter a day. While it was a difficult pregnancy, both Petunia and the baby were in good health and the pregnancy was progressing well. Their unborn child was due in mid-December, and they had decided to wait until the child was born to learn the gender. According to the latest letter, Vernon had requested early dismissal for Harmony and Lilith so they could attend their birth of their little sibling.

By October, Harmony found a new friend in Luna Lovegood, a first year. Luna was _unusual_. Her father owned and operated _The Quibbler_ , a monthly magazine that published "alternative" articles. She left a few copies around the common room, which most of the other students dismissed. Harmony looked over the September edition and she found the magazine amusing.

A few days into the term, Harmony found Luna being ridiculed by other students, including Michael Corner. Corner seemed to find some new friends amongst the first years, in particular Roland Abberley and Scott Ancrum. Harmony did her best to act quickly, reporting the bullies to Penelope Clearwater and getting Luna out of the common room.

Unfortunately, Harmony didn't seem to act quick enough. Most of Luna's year-mates disliked the blonde. In fact, Luna's new roommates went as far as the remove her belongings from the dorm in an effort to try and kick her out. While Noreen Kirkby and Latisha Randall didn't know, they had made enemies of the second year girls.

At Harmony request, Sue Li and Lisa Turpin asked their Head of House for a roommate reassignment. Since Mandy Brocklehurst got along with Noreen and Latisha, she might as well trade places with Luna. The arrangement should make everyone happy. Sue and Lisa would get a new roommate they liked as would Noreen and Latisha.

It took a week and several reports of bullying before Professor Flitwick granted the request. He had hoped Noreen and Latisha would accept Luna as their roommate since Sue and Lisa learned to tolerate Mandy as theirs.

The new arrangement worked out well for most people – only Mandy was unhappy with it. Luna was happy to have kind roommates that _wanted_ to her while Sue and Lisa adored the first year. The blonde was eccentric, but she was friendly. Luna didn't Sue as foreigner and she didn't make fun of Lisa for being a Muggle-born, like Mandy did. When either girl had questions, Luna would smile and explain as gently as she could, in her dreamy tone.

Mandy took it as an insult when she was paired up with Noreen and Latisha, who were first years. As a second year, Mandy knew she was superior to them. In the beginning, Noreen and Latisha were happy with their new roommate. They idolized Mandy and her friends. By October, they disliked Mandy, seeing her as egoistic and condescending. Another roommate reassignment was requested, and it was denied.

With Luna as Sue and Lisa's new roommate, she became a part of their study groups, which included a majority of the second years. Through the study group, Luna claimed the top rank in her year and she became acquainted with the second years, finding friends in most of them.

Outside of classwork and homework, the study group had evolved into some kind of book group with older students. After Padma finished reading _The Hobbit_ , she told everyone she could about it. A number of people were interested in reading it for themselves while the Muggle-born students and Muggle-raised half-bloods eagerly discussed the book.

With so many people interested in _The Hobbit_ , Harmony was at a loss. She had one copy and nearly fifty people wanting to reading it. The answer came in the form of Penelope. In exchanging for reading Harmony's Muggle fiction books, the sixth year traded a family spell.

The Clone Charm was invented by an ancestor and it was rejected by the Charms Guild, thus making it a family spell. This charm would allow Harmony to clone an item, making one copy. Penelope explained that the spell could be used on the clone to recreate another clone, but that copy became distorted. To Harmony, it sounded like making a photocopy of a copy. With Penelope's assistance, twelve copies of _The Hobbit_ were made – with one copy becoming Penelope's while the others were circulated amongst the Ravenclaws.

Word of the book club quickly spread to other Muggle-borns, most of whom were interested in reading Muggle fiction. It seemed most Muggle-borns left their Muggle belongings at home, which Harmony thought was stupid. A few more clones of _The Hobbit_ were created.

While the school year was off to a great start that all changed on Halloween. Like the year before Harmony skipped the feast, but she heard all of the rumors. When the students were leaving the Great Hal, they stumbled upon the petrified form of Mrs. Norris, the caretaker's cat. Written above her on the wall was a message: _The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the heir, beware_. Several of the Slytherins declared that mudbloods and blood traitors would be next.

 **...**

November came with rain and cold temperatures, creating a tense atmosphere around the castle. The rumors were flying around and questions were being raised. Was the Chamber of Secrets _really_ opened or was someone playing a prank? The Weasley twins were suspected of a prank, but cleared. Everyone had seen them at the feast.

The topic of the Chamber of Secrets was popular. Most of the students knew little to nothing about it. Seeking answers, Harmony turned her attention to _Hogwarts, A History_ for information on the Chamber. The book didn't yield many results. After she was finished, Lilith and Padma borrowed the book before lending it to Lisa. Like _The Hobbit_ , Harmony made several clones. Everyone wanted to find the answers for themselves. One thing Harmony noticed about Ravenclaws was they tended to check facts for themselves, unwilling to take someone else's word for it.

With the change of weather, Herbology and Potion classes became miserable. While the greenhouses were heated, the students had the travel to and from the castle in layers. Upon arriving to the greenhouse, most students would remove their layers only to replace them upon the end of class. In the dungeons, the temperatures were colder than the rest of the school, and Professor Snape's classroom was the coldest. It was critical that temperatures remained steady because a change in temperature could affect the brewing process, and most potions requested cool temperatures.

November brought the start of the Quidditch season with the Gryffindor versus Slytherin match. Harmony had no interest in Quidditch, and she was happy to skip the match. Why spend a cold day outside in the rain to watch a match that Ravenclaw wasn't playing in? A few other people joined Harmony in the common room, forming a makeshift study group.

The next morning there were more rumors flying around the castle. There was another petrification. This time was the victim was a first year Muggle-born Gryffindor named Colin Creevey.

Within the week, Professor Lockhart had formed a Dueling Club, a way to educate students on the fine art of dueling and instruct them in defense against an unknown creature. Harmony attended the first meeting with her friends. While she had no interest in spending extra time around Lockhart, she did want to see the man live up to his reputation only to witness Professor Snape beat Lockhart.

After a quick demonstration, Lockhart decided it was best to select two students to take over. He chose Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger before Professor Snape decided to replace Ron with Draco Malfoy. Before the duel began, Professor Snape gave Malfoy some advice that made the boy smirk.

The advice became obvious when Malfoy summoned a snake and he watched with a smirk as the snake stalked towards Justin Finch-Fletchley, instead of his opponent.

 _"Why am I here?"_ the snake hissed as it advanced on the second year Hufflepuff.

Harmony glanced around her, checking to see if anyone else understood the snake. No one seemed to. This wasn't good – this wasn't good _at all_. Forcing herself to remain calm, Harmony's brain jumped into overdrive. She needed answers, and the best way to find answers was through research. Once Professor Snape banished the snake, Harmony turned and fled the Great Hall, seeking the safety and comfort of the library. The library might hold some answers.

In the library, Harmony started looking for magical language. Logically, being able to understand a snake's hissing was magical. With most of the students in the Great Hall, the library was mostly empty. Madam Pince was busy checking in books.

"Need any help?" a familiar dreamy voice asked. The speaker wore radish earrings and a kind smile.

"No really," she replied. "I'm interested in learning how to talk to animals."

The blonde laughed. "I'm afraid that's not possible," she explained. "It's a family ability." Luna grabbed a book and handed it to Harmony. "This should explained more." Without another word, Luna skipped off.

Harmony glanced down at the cover of the book. It was a large brown tomb with _The Arte of Learning the Language of the Beast: Animal Languages_ written gold. With no other lead, Harmony took the book to a secluded table in the library. Opening the book to the first chapter, Harmony began to read. Her answers were found in the seventh chapter. The ability to communicate with snakes was known as Parseltongue, and it was an ability passed from parent to child. It would seem that Harmony needed to start researching the Potter family.

Everything changed the following week when another student was petrified. It was Justin Finch-Fletchley. Along with the student, Sir Nearly Headless Nick was petrified. Suspicion quickly turned to Draco Malfoy. After all, he had summoned the snake and he stood back with a smirk as the snake tried to attack Justin.

Malfoy made no move to protest his innocence, preferring to boast about the attacks on mudbloods. Two were petrified and there were _so many_ more left in the school. Gryffindor and Hufflepuff students slowly started to resent him. None of staff were investigating him and no one seemed to care about his claims and boasts.

 **...**

Needing answers, Harmony dove head first into researching her family. She read everything she could get her hands, wanting to know about the Potter family's magic and the identifies of those who married into the family. Family magic sounded like it was hereditary, passed through genes.

After reading about James, Harmony moved onto his parents, Fleamont and Euphemia Potter. Euphemia's maiden name was Winters, and she was an immigrate from the United States. There was a lot of information about the Winters family available so Harmony was formed to move onto Fleamont's parents, Henry and Jasmine Potter. Jasmine was a member of the Greengrass family. A quick overview of the Greengrass family yielded no ability of Parseltongue. Henry's parents were Charles and Iolet Potter. Iolet was the last surviving member of the Fleamont family.

As she began researching her family and ancestors, Harmony took the time to record each family's House status along with their motto, colors, and crest. If a House went extinct after marrying into the House of Potter, it was critical that Harmony learn about that family. It was her duty to keep the House alive.

After going back ten generations to Charlus Potter and Dorea Black, Harmony couldn't find anything. She turned her attention to the families that had married into the House of Potter, starting with the Blacks – the Ancient and Scared House of Black.

Her research was interrupted by the arrival of her new sibling and her return to Number Four. It was a welcome interruption.

 **...**

An early morning in December, Harmony was awoken by a house-elf.

"Missy Dursy must gets up," the house-elf said, shaking the girl. "Professor Kitt be needing yous and Missy Moon."

Harmony pulled herself out of bed before pulling out some clothes, moving as quickly as she could. Through her sleep addled mind, she knew it was important that she went fast. As Harmony moved, the house-elf moved to wake Lilith up.

"What's going on?" Padma asked, hearing the commotion.

"Yous mom is in labor," the house-elf replied, "and Professor Kitty needs to be taking yous."

The mention of Petunia in labor had Harmony moving a little faster as Lilith tried to change into a Muggle outfit. Harmony was pulling on her jeans as she finished packing her belongings. Lilith waved her wand, spending her belongings into Harmony's open trunk. There was no need to take two trunks when they were fine sharing.

Once the girls were dressed and ready to go, the house-elf escorted them to the entrance hall. Professor McGonagall was waiting for them, dressed in her winter cloak. Without a word, she flicked her wand, shrinking the trunk.

"Come along girls," she said, opening the doors.

Harmony placed the trunk in her pocket before following the professor outside. It was cold. She pulled her jacket a little tighter as she tried to keep up with the professor.

Professor McGonagall led the girls to one of the horseless carriages and she climbed inside with Lilith and Harmony quickly following. As they were seated, the carriage took off towards the train station. Harmony frowned. Surely, they wouldn't be taking the train to London. The carriage walked passed the train station, heading to the nearby village. Hogsmeade was the only magical village left in the United Kingdom. When the carriage came to a stop, Harmony and Lilith climbed out with Professor McGonagall a step behind them. She led them in The Three Broomsticks.

"We'll be traveling by floo to The Leaky Cauldron," the professor announced. She ushered the girls to the fireplace, and she grabbed the pot off of the mantel.

"I've never floo'd before, professor," Harmony said. She knew what floo'ing was, but she had never experienced it herself.

"You first, Miss Moon," the professor ordered.

With a yawn, Lilith nodded. She took a handful of the floo powder and she stepped into the lit fireplace. Throwing the floo powder down, she said, "The Leaky Cauldron."

Harmony watched with wide eyes.

"You're up, Miss Dursley," Professor McGonagall announced.

Taking a handful of the floo powder, Harmony stepped into the fireplace. She took a deep breath before throwing the powder down and saying, "The Leaky Cauldron."

A second later, Harmony found herself spinning. Before her eyes, she saw what appeared to be other fireplaces spinning by. All too soon, she stopped spinning and she tumbled out of a different fireplace.

"Come on," Lilith said as she helped her friend up and pulled her out of the way.

A moment later, Professor McGonagall stepped out of the fireplace. From the Leaky Cauldron, Professor McGonagall summoned the Knight Bus to take them to a hospital in London.

 **...**

By the time they arrived to the hospital, Lilith and Harmony had missed the birth. Truth be told, neither girl wasn't too upset about that. From their research, childbirth sounded painful and horrible. A nurse at the front desk led the two girls and their professor to a private room where Petunia was.

"Mom, dad!" Harmony greeted as she rushed into the room.

Petunia was laying in the hospital bed. Her skin was a little pale and she looked tired. Next to the hospital bed, Vernon sat with his hand wrapped in a bandage.

"Harmony, Lilith," Petunia said with a smile, clearly tired.

Vernon stood up, ushering the girls over to Petunia's bedside when he thanked Professor McGonagall for bringing them.

"Where's our sibling?" Lilith asked, hugging Petunia.

"She'll be back soon," Petunia answered.

Harmony and Lilith took the seats next to the bed.

"We have a sister?" Harmony asked, perking up.

Petunia nodded, "We named her Calla Katherine Dursley."

 **...**

Calla Katherine Dursley was born with a few strands of strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes. only time would tell if those blue eyes changed colors. All babies were born with blue eyes. she was seven pounds and two ounces with wrinkly pink skin.

While Harmony and Lilith adored their new baby sister, they both agreed she was a little ugly with her wrinkled skin and squished face. According to their research, Calla would grow into her face and her appearance.

 **...**

Three hours later found the family climbing into Vernon's new car. With the baby, he decided to purchase a bigger car. There was no way all three girls would fit in the back seat, especially with Calla's top of the line car-seat. Vernon's new car was an SUV with three rows of seating. Calla and Lilith were seated in the second room with Harmony in the back.

Vernon drove extra slow back to Number Four. He kept glancing back at the girls via the rearview mirror. Petunia kept looking over her shoulder, checking on Calla and watching Harmony and Lilith watch over her.

 **...**

With the addition of Calla, it took the family awhile to adjust. Calla slept in the same room as Vernon and Petunia, and she woke up and random hours of the night crying. The crying often woke Lilith and Harmony up. As a result, the family found themselves taking random naps throughout the day.

Despite the lack of sleep, having Calla in the family was amazing. Lilith and Harmony put the finishing touches on the nursery. Since Petunia was busy with Calla, Lilith and Harmony took over some of the household chores. Harmony handled most of the cooking while Lilith made sure the living room and dining room were clean. They split the kitchen and the bathrooms.

Before the family of five knew it, Christmas morning came. Most of the gifts were for Calla. She received numerous things from her parents and her two sisters in addition to her Aunt Marge, various people from Vernon's office and Petunia's client, and the neighbors. Vernon and Petunia got Lilith and Harmony some new clothes, books, and pictures. Harmony received new fantasy and fiction novels while Lilith received new comic books and graphic novels, including Vernon's collection from his childhood. The pictures included plenty of shots of Calla – Calla with Harmony, Calla with Lilith, Calla with her parents, Calla with both of her sister, Calla all by herself, and Calla with the huge family.

 **...**

The beginning of January found Harmony and Lilith returning to Hogwarts. Since they missed the end of term exams, they were assigned extra homework that was due before the break was over. The girls sent Hedwig off to deliver their homework when it was completed.

The train was slow, but Harmony and Lilith took the chance to catch up with Padma. Padma spent the break with family visiting from India. Apparently, their extended family was trying to betroth Padma and her siblings.

Every chance they got, Lilith and Harmony were eager to show off pictures of Calla.

 **...**

The return to the castle came with a return to classes and homework. With a new term, Harmony and Lilith had study group meetings two or three times a week. Padma, Lisa, Sue, Kevin, Stephan, and Terry were quick to join. Within a week they were joined by students from Hufflepuff – Megan Jones, Sally-Anne Perks, Wayne Hopkins, Ernie Macmillion, and Oliver Rivers.

As the month of January went by a few more people joined their study group. Neville Longbottom joined, bringing in Hermione Granger from Gryffindor. He was followed by Parvati Patil and Lavender with Susan Bones and Hannah Abbott close behind.

Forced to spend time with Granger, Harmony found the other girl to be annoying. In class, Granger was always first to raise her hand and she tended to wave it around until she was called on. When someone else was called and answered correctly, Granger always glared at the other student. For the sake of the study group, Harmony remained civil with Granger.

There was one day in late January when Granger was getting on Harmony's nerve. So, she got up and left the library to take a walk. Harmony wondered aimlessly around the castle. She wasn't paying too much attention to where she was going until she walked into a large puddle. Harmony only noticed the puddle because her socks and shoes were getting wet.

With a frown, Harmony decided to investigate the puddle. The puddle led her to a girls' bathroom, which she quickly recognized as Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. All the girls knew about Moaning Myrtle's bathroom and it was avoided. The ghost was known to cry and regularly flood the bathroom.

Sighing, Harmony pushed the door opened and she entered the bathroom. A few steps inside the door, she found one of the faucets was running and the sink was overflowing. Harmony turned the water off before rolling sleeves up. Acting quickly, she dunked her hands into the sink full of water. There was something blocking it, so she went fishing.

The blockage was removed and the water started to drain. Pulling the item out, Harmony inspected. It was a book, maybe a journal. It had a black cover with _T.M.R._ on the cover.

"Thank you," someone said softly from behind Harmony.

Turning around, she found Myrtle poking her head out from one of the stalls.

"You're welcome," Harmony told her.

A little later, Harmony left the bathroom with the journal in hand. She returned to the library and she placed the journal in her bag, where she forgot about it.

 **...**

In between her classwork and her homework, Harmony made time to continue researching her ancestors. Looking over the family tree for the House of Black yielded _very_ few results. Harmony discovered James was close to Sirius Black, the Black family's Heir, during his Hogwarts years. There was something about the name Sirius Black that was familiar to Harmony. It was something she would have to save for another time.

The only thing Harmony learned from the House of Black was the importance of _not_ marrying a close cousin. Apparently, incestuous relationships yielded similar results in both magical beings and Muggles. Though it might be worse in witches and wizards because their inbreeded descendants lost magic.

After the Black family, Harmony turned her attention to the Noble House of Bones. Leonis Potter, son of Charlus and Dorea, married Suzanne Bones. Her research was halted again due to another interruption this one in form of a diary and mystery surrounding the Chamber of Secrets.

 **...**

Growing up, Harmony never paid any attention to Valentine's Day. In elementary school, she handed out valentines to her classmates. When she got home, her mom would look over the candy. Petunia often took some of the candy since she wanted Harmony to have a well-balanced diet.

Valentine's Day started off like any other day. Harmony woke up and reviewed everything in her homework before getting dressed. She headed to the Great Hall with Lilith and Padma. As they were eating breakfast, Lockhart presented his cupids who would be delivering valentines to students sent by other students.

The day was filled with the ugly cupids delivering various valentines. The cupids made sure each and every valentines was delivered and heard in full by the recipient. The deliveries happened in between classes with the cupid and the recipient blocking the corridors and stairwells.

Running late for History of Magic, Harmony pushed through the middle of Cedric Diggory and a cupid reciting a love poem. The cupid didn't react well to Harmony's pushing, so he grabbed her and everything came tumbling out. As everything fell out, her black inkwell broke and covered everything in ink.

With a sigh, Harmony crouched down and started to collect her things. She pulled out her wand, trying to banish all the ink possible.

"You alright?" Cedric Diggory asked, crouching down to help.

Between Harmony and Cedric everything was rapidly picked up. She was surprised by some of the contents of her bag, including that journal. With everything, she dashed off to History of Magic. She sat down next to Padma and she started sorting through everything. Some items were a lost cause.

Harmony's curiosity peeked at the journal. Minutes ago it was _soaked_ in ink and now it was dry, like nothing even happened. For the time being, Harmony decided to set the journal aside.

 **...**

Over the next few days, Harmony experimented with the journal. She spilt ink on top of it and inside of it. The journal _absorbed_ the ink. The next step of her experiment was writing in the journal, but the idea made Harmony feel uneasy.

After debating it for a day or two, she decided to write in the journal, against her better judgement.

 _Testing. One, two, three. Testing._

Before her eyes the writing was absorbed into the page. A second later, a reply came.

 _Hello there. Who's this?_

Harmony's eyes widened. The uneasy feeling grew. Fingering her quill, she thought about what to write back. She decided to tell the truth.

 _My name is Harmony Dursley._

Again, the writing disappeared and a reply came.

 _Hello Harmony. My name is Tom Marvolo Riddle._

Freaked out, Harmony closed the journal. Even though she lacked experience and knowledge about the Magical World, she trusted logic. Journals weren't supposed to write back.

Harmony shoved the journal into her schoolbag, leaving it there while she thought about what to do next.

 **...**

"Are you alright?" Lilith asked one night as they got ready for bed.

Harmony frowned.

"You've been distracted lately," Padma explained.

Shrugging, Harmony replied, "I've been thinking about my family." It wasn't a _complete_ lie. Until a few days ago, she was consumed with identifying the source of her Parselmouth abilities. Now, she was busy looking into the Chamber of Secrets, which could be dangerous.

The Chamber was connected to Parseltongue, which might yield answers for her own abilities. There _had_ to be a link.

For some reason, Harmony didn't want to tell the truth. Maybe she didn't want her friends to think of her as a Dark witch or maybe she wasn't ready to admit everything aloud because then it would be real because others would know.

 **...**

Harmony thought about the journal on and off for the next few weeks. During that time, she looked into this Tom Marvolo Riddle person. There was a Slytherin by that name back in the 1940s. He was a stellar student, top of his year, Slytherin Prefect, and Head Boy. He graduated with top honors before taking a job as an assistant shopkeeper in Knockturn Alley. All that potential wasted.

More than that, Riddle was award a medal for _Special Services to the School_. Apparently, the Chamber of Secrets was opened in the 1940s and a girl, Myrtle Warren, was killed. Riddle caught the culprit. It was a second year Gryffindor student named Rubeus Hagrid. Allegedly, Hagrid sat his pet spider loos in the castle. As a result, Hagrid was expelled and his wand was snapped.

The more she learned about Tom Marvolo Riddle, the more Harmony distrusted him. There was something about him that unsettled her.

In her research, Harmony found Minerva McGonagall was a Gryffindor student during the time Riddle attended Hogwarts. Maybe Professor McGonagall would have some answers. There was slo Myrtle. She had to have some answers.

 **...**

The first person Harmony approached was Moaning Myrtle. She decided to visit Myrtle early on Saturday morning when people were less likely to be around. Students generally avoided Myrtle's bathroom, but there were some students that ventured in to torment the ghost.

"Myrtle?" Harmony called out when she turned the bathroom.

"Who's there?" bellowed the ghost as she soared through the stall doors.

"It's Harmony," she answered.

Myrtle appeared in front of Harmony. She stared at the living girl for a moment before smiling. "What brings you here, Harmony?" Myrtle asked.

"I have some questions," Harmony replied, "about how you died."

The ghost nodded, remaining quiet.

"As you know the Chamber was opened again," Harmony explained. "Last time Hagrid was arrested and expelled after Tom Riddle caught him. I don't think Hagrid did it, and I think you might know something."

Myrtle continued to stare at Harmony. "Before I died, I saw a pair of glowing yellow eyes," she said after a moment, "and I heard hissing, over there by that sink."

Turning her head, Harmony walked over the sinks. She carefully inspected each sink before she came to stop. There was one faucet that had a snake. This was the same sink Harmony pulled Tom Riddle's journal out of.

 **...**

Armed with new information, Harmony took to the library, seeking answers. If she had to guess the creature in the Chamber of Secrets was a snake of some kind. A snake was a logical choice. After all, it was Salazar Slytherin's Chamber of Secret. He was a famous Parselmouth and a snake was the mascot of Slytherin House.

It took a few books before Harmony came across the information. There was a snake so deadly it could kill someone with its gaze. This snake was called a basilisk.

A basilisk would explained the petrifications. Mrs. Norris was found looking into a puddle, Colin was found holding his camera, Justin was found next to Sir Nearly Headless Nick, and Nearly Headless Nick was ghost. No one had looked the basilisk directly in the eye.

 **...**

It was another week before Harmony approached the Transfiguration professor. She decided it was time to seek answers after Hagrid was arrested and Headmaster Dumbledore was removed from the school.

"Professor," Harmony called, remaining behind after class.

"Yes, Miss Dursley?" the professor asked.

"I think I might have some information on the Chamber of Secrets," she told the woman, nervously shifting from foot to foot.

The announcement caught Professor McGonagall off guard. "What exactly, Miss Dursley?"

"I found this back in January," Harmony replied, presenting the journal to her professor. "I found it writes back."

Professor McGonagall's eyes widened and she snatched the journal from Harmony.

"It belonged to Tom Riddle," she continued. "There's something about him that I don't trust." Harmony shook her head.

"I approached Myrtle," Harmony carried on explaining, "and she told me how she died. She saw a pair of yellow eyes and she heard hissing. So, I did some research. I think Slytherin's monster is a basilisk."

Professor McGonagall quickly strung into action. She ushered Harmony into her office and she waved her wand, summoning a silvery cat. The cat ran off as they left the classroom.

 **...**

From there, things happened rapidly. Professor McGonagall summoned other professors to her office before placing a floo call to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Professor Flitwick and Professor Sprout were entered the office and people exiting the fireplace led by a woman introduced as Madam Amelia Bones. Following behind her were a dozen Aurors and a pair Unspeakables.

"Miss Dursley, I've summoned Miss Moon," Professor Flitwick said.

Harmony nodded.

"Please repeat everything you've told me, Miss Dursley," the Transfiguration professor requested.

Feeling nervous, Harmony took a deep breath. She had no clue what was going on, but she would do as the professor requested.

Madam Bones smiled. "James would be proud of you," she whispered.

Hearing that Harmony relax. "How'd you know him?" she asked. There was no point in asking how Madam Bones knew James Potter was the father of Harmony Dursley.

"I trained him," Madam Bones answered. "He was a good Auror."

Before Harmony could say anymore, Professor Snape entered with Lilith. Lilith rushed to the side of her best friend, grabbing her hand to offer support.

"Now, Miss Dursley," Professor McGonagall began, "I want you to understand that you're not in any trouble. Filius is here to act as a witness and as your magical guardian, if needed."

Glancing around at the adults, Harmony nodded in understanding. She explained everything again, from the journal to Tom Marvolo Riddle to her conversation with Myrtle to her theory about the basilisk.

Professor McGonagall handed the journal over to Madam Bones and the Unspeakables for examination. One of the Unspeakables appeared to run some tests and the results didn't appear to be good. The adults started talking, mostly Madam Bones, the Aurors, the Unspeakables, Professor McGonagall and the other professors.

Harmony and Lilith overheard everything, and Lilith understood the discussion more than Harmony did. Despite all her reading and knowledge, there was still a lot Harmony didn't know about the Magical World.

"Do you know where the Chamber of Secrets is?" asked one of the Unspeakables.

All of the professors shook their heads.

Deciding to speak up, Harmony replied, "Myrtle's bathroom. There's a faucet with a snake on it."

The adults fell silence as they turned to look at Harmony.

Turning red, she explained, "I think the basilisk uses the pipes to get around. How else would a giant snake get around the school unnoticed?"

The Unspeakables started talking to each other before turning their attention back to Harmony.

"The girl has a point," one of them said. "With nowhere else to begin, it's as good as any."

McGonagall nodded, looking pale. "I'll get the school on lockdown," she announced.

 **...**

An hour later, Professor McGonagall was leading the team of Aurors and Unspeakables to the bathroom. Harmony and Lilith found themselves tagging alone for some unexplainable reason. There was no logical reason for a pair of preteen girls to come along on the search for a dangerous beast that could kill people with a single glance.

When they arrived to the bathroom, the team started inspecting every inch as Madam Bones found the snake on the faucet. One of the Unspeakables joined her.

"How does it open?" asked one of the Aurors.

The adults started conversing amongst themselves.

"Parseltongue," Lilith guessed. "Salazar Slytherin was a famous Parselmouth and if the monster is a snake, it's makes Salazar would hide the Chamber and the beast using a method only he and his family could access."

McGonagall turned a little more pale. "There were rumors that Riddle was the Heir of Slytherin," she explained.

Harmony turned away from the scene, her mind racing. Maybe she had been going about her Parseltongue research the wrong way. She looked at her family instead of concentrating on families that had the ability.

It was one thing to know she was a Parselmouth, and it was another thing to tell others. She could open the Chamber, but these people would learn her secret. From her research, Harmony understood Parseltongue was considered a dark trait – a mark of a Dark witch. Would people think of her as Dark witch?

"I'm a Parselmouth," she whispered, bowing her head. To be honest, she didn't know what to think of her mysterious talent.

Next to her, Lilith gasped and dropped her friend's hand in shock while Professor Flitwick whistled, gathering everyone's attention.

"Miss Dursley, here, can speak Parseltongue," he announced. "I will allow her to assist as long as her secret is protected."

"Promised," Madam Bones said, quickly. Time was of the essence. "We can _all_ sign a magical contract."

Professor Flitwick agreed, a serious expression on his face. They would take care of the contract _after_ this Chamber business was dealt with. "Miss Dursley," he said, nodding to his student.

Stepping towards the sink, Harmony crossed her fingers that she would be able to speak Parseltongue. Having never tried it, she had no clue if she could. All she was that she could understand snakes. _"Open,"_ she found herself hissing after a few seconds of staring at the snake on the faucet.

Everyone around her jumped as the sink started to move before their eyes. A tunnel opened.

With the tunnel open, the team from the Ministry and Professor McGonagall headed down to do something while Professor Snape escorted Harmony and Lilith back to the Ravenclaw common room. Professor Flitwick was writing about the contract and Professor Sprout was acting as Headmistress.

In the common room, Lilith stared at her best friend with narrowed eyes before storming of to their dorm. Harmony chased after her.

"Lilith," Harmony said, entering their dorm room.

Padma was seated at her desk.

Lilith turned to glare at Harmony with tears in her brown eyes. "Why did you lie?" she demanded.

"I didn't lie," Harmony answered.

"What did she lie about?" Padma asked.

"Researching her family," Lilith stated, crossing her arms. "When in fact she's been investigating the Chamber of Secrets."

"It wasn't a lie," Harmony said weakly. It was a lie and she knew it, but she didn't want to confess for some reason.

"Yes, you did!" Lilith shouted, leaning in close to friend.

Padma stood up from her desk, coming up to separate the two. "Back up," she ordered, her tone hard. "Lilith let's let Harmony have a chance to explain."

While Lilith didn't say anything, her glare spoke a thousand unsaid words.

"I-I don't really know where to begin," Harmony said, her tone lost and quiet.

"How about with _why_ you started researching her family?" Padma suggested, gently.

Harmony nodded, thinking over recent events. "Back in November, during the Dueling Club," she began, "I _heard_ what that snake said. It was lost, looking for answers. No one else understood it, and I knew something was different about me."

"Is that why you rushed out?" Padma asked with a frown. Harmony's sudden disappearance was strange because she left without a word.

She nodded before continuing, "I needed answers, and I found them in the library. Before that day, _I_ didn't know I was a Parselmouth. After some research I decided to look into my family and my ancestors."

"How did that led you to the Chamber?" Padma asked, holding a hand out towards Lilith. Usually, Padma was the hot-headed one and Lilith was the cool-headed.

"Back in January, I found a black diary in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom," she answered. "I forgot about it until Valentine's Day when my inkwell broke. The diary was _soaked_ in ink one moment and it was _completely_ dry a little later. I decided to experiment with it.

"Through those experiments, I discovered the diary _wrote back_ ," she carried on. "After that, I stopped experimenting with the diary. It belonged to Tom Marvolo Riddle, and I decided to investigate him."

Lilith's glare had lessened a little.

"Tom Riddle attended Hogwarts over fifty years ago, the last time the Chamber was opened and a student died," Harmony explained. "He allegedly caught the culprit – Hagrid and his pet acromantula – and he was a awarded a medal for _Special Services to the School_. Hagrid was expelled."

"Acromantula are dangerous spider and deadly, but they're _incapable_ of paralyzing people," Lilith said.

"Who was the student?" Padma asked.

"Myrtle Warren."

"Myrtle as in _Moaning_ Myrtle?" Lilith asked.

Harmony nodded.

"So, you investigated Riddle and the Chamber, then what?"

"I asked Myrtle about her death. She sad a pair of yellow eyes and she heard hissing."

"Does that mean–?" began Padma.

"It's not just any snake," Lilith said.

"There's only one type of snake that kill or paralyze with its' glance," Harmony stated.

"A basilisk," Lilith stated.

"Then?" Padma asked. She was on the edge of her seat, waiting for the next part.

"I took my findings to Professor McGonagall," Harmony responded. "She called Madam Bones, the Aurors, and the Unspeakables."

"I don't think we're allowed to discuss the rest," Lilith stated, sending a spark look to her best friend.

"So, who opened the Chamber last time?" Padma asked.

"Tom Marvolo Riddle," Harmony answered. "He was a Slytherin Prefect and Head Boy."

"I've never heard of him before," Padma said with a frown. "I would assume someone of his accomplishments would go on to the Ministry."

"I don't know," Harmony shrugged. "McGonagall said there was a rumor that Riddle was the Heir of Slytherin."

Silence fell between the three.

"We should look into this Tom Riddle," Lilith stated. There was something in her tone that Harmony couldn't place.

"And we should look into Harmony's ancestors," added Padma.

 **...**

Hogwarts remained on lockdown for a week. Students were confined to their common rooms with house-elves, Aurors, and the staff monitoring them. Meals were delivered along with homework assignments. If a student needed a book from the library, a house-elf would bring it. Owls were moved to the dorm rooms. Students weren't allowed to leave.

Naturally, rumors started flying. In some rumors, more attacks had happened while in others, the Heir of Slytherin had been caught. None of the rumors held a grain of truth. Lilith, Harmony, and Padma kept the truth to themselves. They didn't even write it in a letter to send to their parents out of fear the letter might be intercepted.

In that week, Hagrid was released from Azkaban and returned to the castle. He was under the care of a St. Mungo's healer. For some reason, Headmaster Dumbledore was reinstated, creating even more rumors.

 **...**

In the beginning of April, the lockdown ended. Students were released from their common rooms, but none of their questions were answered. The Aurors remained in the castle, and Myrtle's bathroom was under guard.

Harmony and Lilith found answers one rainy morning over tea in Professor McGonagall's office with Madam Bones, Professor Flitwick and an Unspeakable introduced as Spark.

"You were correct, Miss Dursley," Madam Bones started. She told the girls about the giant basilisk in the Chamber. It was easily taken care of by the Unspeakables and a few roosters. After killing the basilisk, the Unspeakables and the Aurors started combing over the Chamber. There were a few hidden treasures inside.

"Some items will be handed over to you, Miss Dursley," explained Spark, " _after_ each and every item is thoroughly inspected." Apparently, Harmony could lay claim to everything through some old pure-blood custom. This custom was older than the Ministry, and Ministry wouldn't dare fight in fear of angering others.

"Even the basilisk? Lilith asked.

"Yes," Madam Bones answered. "However, we were hoping Miss Dusley would be interested in selling its parts." Through brooking the deal, Madam Bones and her Department would get some of the funds.

Basilisk parts were worth _a lot_ of money. Every single part had a use of some kind.

"She'll sell everything but the hid and the skeleton," Lilith stated. "The hid will be turned into armor and sold for a profit with the money benefiting Hogwarts and the victims."

"I want some hid for you, me, and Padma," Harmony said, quickly. It made no sense to have the armor created now because they would outgrow it a matter of months.

This was a deal Harmony was happy to let Lilith handle. Lilith knew more about the Magical World than she did, and Lilith was thinking of others – the school, Colin Creevey, and Justin Finch-Fletchley.

"There's one more thing, Miss Dursley," Spark said. "It's about the journal."

"It isn't normal, is it?" she asked.

"It's not," answered the Unspeakable. "It's very dark magic."

Harmony shivered. She knew there was something off about it.

"What kind of magic?" Lilith asked, fear in her tone.

Spark and Madam Bones shared a look before answering, "Soul splitting."

Lilith paled while both professors dropped their teacups. While Harmony didn't know what kind of magic that was, she could infer it was bad, and based off of these reactions it was even worse than she thought.

"There are more of _them_ , aren't there?" Professor McGonagall whispered.

"That remains to be seen," Spark stated. Turning back to Harmony, he said, "When you turn thirteen, we'll arrange a visit to the Hall of Prophecies with your guardians."

Harmony frowned. She had never heard of this Hall of Prophecies before.

"Why?" demanded Lilith, her tone urgent.

"There's one regarding Miss Dursley," Spark replied, "under the name _Harmony Lily Potter_."

 **...**

The rest of the school year sped by quickly. April turned to May, bringing sunny days and time spent outside. Professors increased homework since exams were coming up.

Harmony and Lilith were busy with their study group. Granger was driving everyone crazy while Harmony did her best to ignore the older girl.

As May turned into June, the truth about the Chamber of Secrets was slowly revealed through special reports in _The Quibbler_ , upon Harmony's request. Students were obsessing over it while Luna's popularity grew. The articles made no mention of Harmony or Lilith. Both girls and Padma shared secret smiles while trying to remain focused on their studies.

Before anyone knew it, exams were over and the Hogwarts Express was pulling into King's Cross where Harmony and Lilith would be reunited with Vernon, Petunia, and Calla.

* * *

 **Words** : ~10,000

* * *

 **Notes**

Highland tiger: This is an endangered wildcat in Scotland. It is the only wild feline left in the British Isles. The wildcat is likely the inspiration of the mythological Celtic creature, cat sith. This wildcat is commonly known as _Scottish wildcat_.

* * *

 **Students Sorted in 1992**

Ravenclaw – Six girls and six boys  
 _Girls_ : Edith Chambers; Nanette Desford; Maria Glossop; Noreen Kirkby; Luna Lovegood; and Latisha Randall  
 _Boys_ : Roland Abberley; Scott Ancrum; Gordon Bradley; Declan Haworth; Shoma Ichiwaka; and Omar Shaw

Hufflepuff – Six girls and six boys  
 _Girls_ : Trisha Buttermere; Martine Copplestone; Bhavna Patel; Lynette Sawley; Alice Tolipan; and Agatha Trussington  
 _Boys_ : Robert Cadwallader; Luca Caruso; Kouta Ohnishi; Sean Peakes; Eric Summerby; and Zacharias Smith

Gryffindor – Six girls and six boys  
 _Girls_ : Sally Birchgrove; Vicky Frobisher; Rionach O'Neal; Julie Parkes; Demelza Robins; and Ginny Weasley  
 _Boys_ : Brian Cinderford; Colin Creevey; Andrew Kirke; Neil Randall; Roderick Seaton and Jack Sloper

Slytherin – Six girls and six boys  
 _Girls_ : Nerissa Brody; Flora Carrow; Hestia Carrow; Tracey Nettlebed; Rachel Parker; and Bridget Rowle  
 _Boys_ : Toby Harper; Maynard Hatton; Xander Lofthouse; Daryl Morden; Bastien Queensbury; and Jacob Vaisey


End file.
